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Abstract
The practice of taking and sharing one photo every day for a year has become a popular new form of photography enabled by the internet. The purpose of this study was to investigate how people use photo-a-day to enhance their wellbeing. The data for the study were 16 interviews with people who practised photo-a-day, analysed by thematic analysis. The analysis showed how photos offer positive affordances because of the conventions to take aesthetically pleasing images, share positive events and comment positively. A seemingly simple activity, photo-a-day creates a new layer of interest woven around daily activities, and expands social relationships. Representations of identity are complex, emerging through photos taken, rather than a premeditated profile.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
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Notes on contributors
Andrew Cox
Dr Andrew Cox is a senior lecturer at the Information School, University of Sheffield. His research interests are in online community and social media. He is head of the School’s Digital Societies Research Group and Director of Postgraduate Research.
Liz Brewster
Dr Liz Brewster is a Non-Clinical Lecturer in Medical Education at Lancaster Medical School. Her research interests are social media and wellbeing; using technology for self-management of long-term conditions; using social science research methods in healthcare improvement research, with a focus on programme implementation; professional training for medical practice, with a focus on resilience. Liz joined the Lancaster Medical School in December 2015. She has previously worked at the University of Leicester and University of Sheffield.